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THE NEWSBOY 


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Cosg Corner Series 


JOHN WHOPPER 

THE NEWSBOY 


Thomas Mf Clark 

Late Bishop of Rhode Island 


With Illustrations by His Granddaughter 
Helena Sturtevant 


NEW EDITION 
With an Introduction by 
Henry C. Potter, Bishop of New York 


Boston ^ ^ ^ 

L. C. Page & Company 
^ ^ S ^ ipo^ 




.C 


LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two Copies Receiveo 

MAY 24 iy05 

CopyriKiii tniry 

Sf, > 9 oe 

OU\S£ O. AXC. Not 

//7 7^9 

COPY B. 

w— a— 1^— — Ksj 


Copyright, igo^ 

By L. C. Page & Company 

(incorporated) 

All rights reserved 


Published April, 1905 


4 



COLONIAL PRESS 

Electrotyped cind Printed by C. H. Simonds &* Co. 
Boston, U.S.A. 


INTRODUCTION 


It was not unnatural that Bishop Clark 
should have published John Whopper ” anon- 
ymously, if only to escape the criticism of those 
goody-good people who would have been swift 
to say that such a style of writing was incon- 
sistent with his Episcopal dignity. It would 
have been in vain to have shown, as could eas- 
ily have been done, that, from Dean Swift, 
backwards and forwards, English literature 
has abundant illustrations of grave ecclesias- 
tics who have used humour and fiction as the 
vehicle of suggestion or recreation. Bishop 
Clark, who was a shrewd and close observer 
of his kind, knew that such critics would sol- 
emnly have pushed all such precedent aside, 
and would have insisted that a minister ought 
only to express himself in sermons or essays. 

And, as obviously, it is not difficult to under- 


VI 


INTRODUCTION 


stand the wish of those who, by kinship or 
otherwise, stood closest to the bishop, who 
desired that something which so characteristi- 
cally expressed him, as does John Whopper,’’ 
should now, at any rate, be associated with his 
name. 

The volume that goes with this has had 
the rare advantage of correction and revision 
by the hand of one who was not only of clos- 
est kinship with the bishop, but who as closely 
knew and loved him. And it is right that, 
after her careful re-reading and retouching 
of this little story, it should now go forth, 
bearing its author’s name. For of him, of 
his mental processes, of his curious temper of 
interrogation, it is eminently characteristic; 
and of that wider vision of his, which bound 
together Boston and China, the inside of the 
globe and the North Pole, it is a very strik- 
ing expression. No one can read it now with- 
out seeing in it that large interrogation which 
was for ever a note of the bishop’s mind, 
and that imperishable sympathy with boyhood, 
which made his heart young and his speech 
playful to the very end. 

Henry C. Potter. 



CHAPTER rAKjn. 

I. How John Whopper Discovered the 

Air -LINE to China . . . . i 

II. How John Got into Trouble in China 25 
III How John Whopper Got Caught in the 

Earth, and Then Got Out Again . 51 

IV. How John Whopper Got Along at the 

North Pole ^5 




PAGH 

** * Supper, indeed ! ’ cried my good mother ” 

Frontispiece 

“ I SAW WHAT LOOKED LIKE A CIRCULAR CAVE ” 3 

“ Striking off now at random ” . . .7 

“ An immense city on the water’s edge ” . 8 

“ I entered what appeared to be one of 

THE MAIN STREETS ” 9 

“ I SAT DOWN AND MADE OUT QUITE A LONG 

LETTER ” 33 

“ It came within reach ” 45 

“ I NOW CRAWLED . . . ABOUT THE SURFACE OF 

THIS CYLINDRICAL MASS” . . . *57 

“ My eyes fell upon a sight that almost 

TOOK AWAY MY BREATH” . . . *71 

“ Every morning I posted myself, with a 

SPY -GLASS ON THE HIGHEST PEAK OF THE 
BERG ” 87 

Tailpiece 93 



JOHN WHOPPER 

THE NEWSBOY 


CHAPTER 1. 

HOW JOHN WHOPPER DISCOVERED THE AIR- 
LINE TO CHINA 

Two years ago last February, I think it was 
on a Tuesday morning, I started as usual 
very early to distribute my papers. I had a 
large bundle to dispose of that day, and 
thought that if I took a short cut across the 
fields, instead of following the road from Rox- 
bury to Jamaica Plain, I could go my rounds 
in much less time. I do not care to tell pre- 
cisely where it was that I jumped over the 
fence; but it is a rough, barren kind of spot, 
which nobody has ever done anything to im- 
prove. 

I 


2 


JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 


After walking- about a third of a mile, I 
began to think that I had better have kept to 
the turnpike; for I found that I was obliged 
to clamber over an uneven, rocky place, among 
trees and bushes and shrubs, that grew just 
thick enough to bother me, so that I hardly 
knew where to put my feet. All at once I 
lost my balance, and felt that I was sliding 
down the side of a smooth, steep rock ; while 
underneath, to my horror, I saw what looked 
like a circular cave, or well, some five or six 
feet in diameter. I tried to grasp the rock 
with my hands, and ground my heels as hard 
as I could against the surface, but it was of 
no use; down I slipped, faster and faster, 
until at last I plunged, feet foremost, into 
the dark hole below. For a moment I held 
my breath, expecting to be dashed to pieces; 
and, oh, how many things I thought of in that 
short minute! It seemed as if everything that 
I had ever done came back to me, especially 
all the had things; and how I wished then 
that I had lived a better life! I thought, too, 
of my poor mother and my little brother and 
sister at home, and how they would wait break- 
fast for me that morning ; and how they would 


THE AIR -LINE TO CHINA 


3 


keep on waiting and waiting, hour after hour, 
and day after day; and how the neighbours 



would all turn out and search for me; and 
how I should never be found, and nobody 
would ever know what had become of me. 



4 


JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 


And then I wondered whether Mr. Simpson, 
who employed me to distribute the papers, 
would suppose that I had run away some- 
where, to sell them on my own account; and 
so I went on thinking and wondering until 
it seemed as if there was no end to the time. 
And yet I didn’t strike the bottom of the cave, 
but just went on falling and falling, faster and 
faster, in the darkness, sometimes just graz- 
ing the sides, but still not so as to hurt me 
much. My great trouble was to breathe; but 
it occurred to me to lay the sleeve of my coat 
across my mouth, and then I found that I 
could breathe through the cloth with tolerable 
ease. After awhile, I recovered my senses; 
and, though I continued to fall on still faster 
and faster, I experienced no great inconve- 
nience. How long this continued, I cannot tell ; 
it appeared to be an age ; and I must have been 
falling for several hours, when I began to feel 
as though I was not sinking as fast as I had 
been; and, after awhile, it seemed as if I 
were rising up, rather than tumbling down. 
As I was now able to breathe much more freely 
than I had done, I began to think calmly about 
my condition; and then the thought flashed 


THE AIR -LINE TO CHINA 


5 


across my mind that perhaps I had passed 
the centre of the earth, and was gradually 
rising to the surface on the other side. This 
gave me hope; and, when I found that I 
continued to move slower and slower, I tried 
to collect my faculties, so that I might know 
just what it would be best to do if I should 
be so fortunate as to reach the other end of 
the hole into which I had tumbled. At last, 
looking down, I saw a little speck of light, 
like a very faint star ; and then, I tell you, my 
heart bounded with joy. At this moment it 
suddenly occurred to me that it would not do 
to come out of the hole feet foremost; and, by 
a tremendous effort, I managed to turn a com- 
plete somersault — what the boys always called 
a somerset, — which, of course, brought me 
into the right position. How thankful I felt 
that I had been taught to practise gymnastic 
exercises at the school in Roxbury! In my 
present attitude I couldn’t see the bright spot 
any longer; but, before long, I perceived that 
it was growing lighter around me, and I was 
confident that the time of my release drew 
near. I had determined exactly what I would 
do when I reached the surface of the earth 


6 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

again; and, accordingly, on the instant that 
my head came out of the hole, I grasped the 
edge with all my might, and, by another ter- 
rible effort, swung myself up into the air, 
and leaped upon the ground. 

It is impossible to describe the strange thrill 
that passed over me when I thus found myself 
standing on what I knew must be the eastern 
side of the globe. As soon as I had fairly 
recovered the use of my reason, I began to 
speculate as to the region of the country into 
which I emerged. If I had come directly 
through the centre of the earth, I knew, of 
course, just where I ought to be; but this 
hardly seemed possible, considering how short 
a time it had required for my journey. It 
then occurred to me that I was really unable 
to form any accurate idea of the number of 
hours that had elapsed since I left the soil of 
Massachusetts ; for, before I had fallen a hun- 
dred feet, a whole age appeared to have passed. 
I knew that it was about six o’clock in the 
morning when I started; and, on looking at 
my watch, I found that it had stopped at 
6.45, owing, as I afterward ascertained, to 


THE AIR -LINE TO CHINA 


7 


the influence of magnetic currents upon the 
hair-spring. 

The country around was in a high state of 



cultivation, except in the immediate vicinity 
of the spot where I stood. This was rough 
and barren, and so situated that the small cav- 
ity in the earth from which I had just been 


8 


JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 


released would be very likely to escape ob- 
servation. Thinking that it might be impor- 
tant for me to be able hereafter to identify 
the locality, I took a careful observation of 
its general bearings, and twisted together a 
few of the twigs that grew near the hole, but 
in such a manner as would not be likely to 
arrest attention. 



Striking off now at random, I soon found 
myself in a low, marshy region, covered with 
a species of grain unlike anything I had ever 
seen before, but which I concluded must be 
rice; and then the thought came to me that 
very probably I was in China. After walking 
for an hour or two, I reached a rising ground, 
and saw in the distance an immense city on 


THE AIR -LINE TO CHINA 


9 


the water’s edge, which, from its position and 
resemblance to certain pictures that I had once 
seen in Boston, I believed to be Canton. Re- 
freshing myself with some fruit that grew by 



the wayside, I started off in haste, in order, 
if possible, to reach the city before nightfall. 
Just as the sun was setting, I entered what 
appeared to be one of the main streets; when, 
tired and hungry and footsore, I began to 


lO 


JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 


think seriously what I should do to procure 
food and lodging. Here I was, — a poor boy 
in a strange land, unable to address a word 
to the people around me, and with only a few 
cents and two or three bits of paper currency 
in my pocket, that could be of no value in that 
country. What was I to do? Just then I 
came to a large and respectable looking build- 
ing, and over the door there was this sign, 
in good, plain characters: 

“ English and American Coffee - House.” 

Tears of joy filled my eyes. In an instant, 
I said to myself : Your fortune is made, old 
fellow! Here you have thirty or forty Bos- 
ton newspapers, not tw'enty-four hours old, 
strapped around your neck ; and I rather think 
they will be in some demand in Canton.” 

With a light heart I now entered the office 
of the hotel, and threw down my bundle, with 
a good black leather covering around the pa- 
pers, so that it looked like an ordinary piece 
of luggage, which gave me the appearance of 
a regular traveller; then called for a room, 
and ordered supper. It was true that I had 


the air -line to china 


1 1 

very little money in my possession, — not 
enough, certainly, to pay my bill at the hotel ; 
but no questions were asked, and I gave my- 
self little concern as to the future. I had a 
first-rate appetite, and ate voraciously. 

After supper was over, I took my bundle in 
my hand, and strolled leisurely into a pleasant 
and spacious room, where a number of gentle- 
men — English and American — were sitting 
around in groups, some chatting together, and 
others reading the London and New York 
and Boston papers. Among them I recognized 
the face of a merchant whom I had seen sev- 
eral times in State Street; and, slinging the 
strap over my shoulder in a careless, every-day 
sort of tone, just as any newsboy would have 
done at home, I went up to him and said: 
‘'Have the morning papers, Mister? — morn- 
ing papers? — Advertiser, Journal, Post, Her- 
ald, last edition, — published this morning, 
only five dollars! ” Everybody in the room 
looked up, for I managed, as newsboys gen- 
erally do, to speak loud enough to drown 
every other sound ; but no one uttered a word. 
It was evident that they thought I was crazy, 
or something worse; and so I just cried out 


12 


JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 


again : Have the morning papers, sir ? ” at 

the same time thrusting a copy of the Adver- 
tiser into his hand. He looked like an Ad- 
vertiser kind of man, — well dressed and 
highly respectable. 

Involuntarily his eye glanced at the date, 
— “Tuesday, Feb. i6, 1867;” and then, in 
an excited, quivering tone, he said : “ Let 
me look at your other papers.’’ There was 
a long table in the centre of the room, which 
I approached, and, slowly unfolding my bun- 
dle, I laid a few of the papers wide open in 
front of the gentlemen, who crowded around 
in the highest state of excitement. Still there 
was dead silence, when one of them suddenly 
burst out with the exclamation : “ Good heav- 
ens! Here is a notice of the arrival of The 
Golconda at New York, with a full account 
of the cargo, and everything else correct. 
Why, this must be genuine ! ” 

One after another followed with a cry of 
surprise at some news which they had found; 
until, in a few minutes, every gentleman in 
the room was absorbed in reading the papers, 
appearing to have entirely forgotten all about 
me, and not caring to ask how it was that I 


THE AIR -LINE TO CHINA 1 3 

had brought them to China in less than twenty- 
four hours. After I had stood there whistling 
carelessly as long as I thought worth while, 
I spoke up in a loud voice, and said : “ Well, 
gentlemen, you seem to be enjoying the news 
pretty well. I hope you don’t mean to forget 
to pay for the papers, — only live dollars a 
copy! 

At this speech every one of them looked 
at me with a strange expression, as if they 
hardly knew whether I was a real human boy 
or something else, when the Boston gentleman 
said : ‘‘ How on earth did you get these pa- 
pers here? ” To which I answered very care- 
lessly : ‘‘ I didn’t get them here on earth.” 

‘‘What do you mean?” 

“ I will tell you what I mean, and answer 
your questions, after you have paid me five 
dollars each; and cheap at that, considering” 

“ Indeed it is, for me at least,” said one 
of the gentlemen. “ What I have learned 
from this paper is worth to me, in a business 
way, thousands of dollars,” and with that he 
came forward and put a hundred into my hand, 
in the good, solid form of gold pieces. His 
example had its effect upon the others. In- 


14 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

stead of the two hundred which I had hoped 
to receive for my forty newspapers, I was 
actually in possession of not less than — well, 
I don’t care to tell exactly how much, on ac- 
count of the income tax. 

Come, now,” said the gentlemen, almost 
in one breath, '' tell us how these papers came 
to China.” 

“ I brought them myself.” 

“When did you leave America?” 

“ The morning when these papers were 
printed; but how long ago that was, I really 
don’t know, as my watch stopped while I was 
on my voyage; only I thought it was just as 
well to call out, as I always used to do at 
home, ‘ Morning paper ! ’ although, perhaps, 
for all I can tell, they may be two or perhaps 
three days old ; anyhow, I guess you find them 
a good deal fresher than the rest you have 
got on hand.” 

Having delivered myself of this somewhat 
protracted speech, I began moving toward the 
door with the air of one who had said every- 
thing that could reasonably be expected in 
reply to the curious inquiries of my liberal 
patrons, when the Boston merchant motioned 


THE AIR -LINE TO CHINA 1 5 

for me to stop, saying with some severity ; 
“ Did you not promise that you would inform 
the company how these papers came from 
America to China in such an incredibly short 
period of time whenever you should have re- 
ceived your pay for the same?” 

'‘Yes, sir; and I just told you that I 
brought them over — not exactly over — but 
— in short, I brought them here.” 

" You say, ' not exactly over; ’ do you mean 
by that phrase to be understood to say that 
you did not come over land ? ” 

“ Your honour has hit my meaning pre- 
cisely.” 

" You don’t pretend to say that you came 
by water? ” 

" Far from it, sir.” 

“ How then, mtder the heavens, did you 
come ? ” 

" I didn’t come under the heavens at all.” 

" I don’t believe,” said the irritated gentle- 
man, turning to his companions, " that the 
fellow came at all; he must be lying.” 

All the answer that he received was the 
rustling of forty newspapers, bearing the im- 


1 6 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

print, February i6, 1867, Boston/’ There 
was no getting over this. 

After a pause of several minutes, during 
which a bright idea entered my mind, I came 
forward into the circle, and said : ‘‘ Well, gen- 
tlemen, I want to see if I can make a good 
bargain with you, and when that is settled, I 
will tell you how I came over — I mean, I 
will tell you how I got here; that is, I will 
tell you the route that I took. If I can ar- 
range for the delivery in Canton of the New 
York and Boston daily papers, within thirty- 
six hours of the time when they are issued in 
those cities, will you all promise to give me 
your generous patronage?” 

Of course we will,” they cried all together. 

Very well; then I pledge myself to appear 
again in this place one week from this day, 
ready to carry out my part of the bargain. 
And now, in bidding you good night, allow 
me to inform you that I came from America 
to China by the air line” 

With this I retired at once to my room, 
and was soon sleeping soundly. 

I knew that I should be watched so closely 
the next day as to make it impossible for me 


THE AIR -LINE TO CHINA 1 7 

to escape without detection; and accordingly 
I got up an hour or two before daylight ; and, 
having laid upon the table in my room an 
amount of money which I supposed would be 
considered a fair compensation for my sup- 
per and lodging, I tied the sheets together, 
and lowered myself down into the then silent 
and deserted street. It was not long before I 
found myself once more in the open country; 
and, looking carefully for the twisted twigs 
that I had tied together the afternoon before, 
I soon discovered the chasm through which 
I had made my remarkable trip to the eastern 
hemisphere. Taking the precaution to tie a 
handkerchief over my mouth in order that 
I might economize my breath, I summoned 
all my courage, and leaped into the hole. My 
experiences were precisely the same as they 
had been in the previous journey; and in 
course of a few hours, I found myself standing 
once more in the familiar outskirts of Rox- 
bury, and gazing tenderly upon the solemn 
dome of Boston State House. As fast as my 
legs would take me, I rushed to my poor moth- 
er’s humble abode, longing to relieve the bit- 
ter agony to which I knew she and my brother 


1 8 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

and sister must have been subjected during my 
absence. It is not worth while for me to 
describe at length the scene that ensued when 
I stood once more in the family circle, with 
my mother’s arms around my neck, and the 
young folks bellowing with joy. To the fran- 
tic inquiries that were showered upon me as 
to what had happened, — where I had been, 
— had I had anything to eat ? I coolly re- 
plied that I had not had much to eat; and, 
if they would give me a good, substantial sup- 
per, I would endeavour to relieve their minds. 

“ Supper, indeed ! ” cried my good mother ; 
“why, it’s just after sunrise! You haven’t 
lost your senses, I hope.” 

“ I beg your pardon ; but it was about sun- 
rise hours and hours ago, when I — when 
I — ” and here I faltered,, not caring just then 
to let the whole family into my secret. 

“ When you what ? ” said my mother, look- 
ing very anxious. 

“ Why, when I left Canton,” I now an- 
swered, very promptly. 

“ You don’t say that you have been to Can- 
ton?” she replied, but without any such show 
of astonishment as might have been expected. 


THE AIR -LINE TO CHINA 


19 


“ Yes, I have, mother. It occurred to me 
that I could sell my papers to better advantage 
there than I could about here; and, indeed, 
I did, as you may see.” Whereupon I laid in 
her good old hand such a sum of money as 
she had not clasped for many a day. 

“ Did you get all this money by selling pa- 
pers in Canton?” 

“ I did, and a great deal more, which I 
am going to deposit by and by in the savings- 
bank to your credit.” 

“ There must be an awful demand for papers 
in Canton.” 

“ There is, mother; and they pay such high 
prices there that I am thinking of setting up 
a news establishment in the place.” 

“ And did you walk all the way to Canton 
day before yesterday, my boy ? ” 

“ Then it was day before yesterday morn- 
ing when I left home ? I thought it was longer 
ago than that.” 

“ Longer ago ! Oh, dear, dear ! you are 
not out of your head, my son?” 

“ My good mother, I am as sound as you 
are. Only you know that sometimes, when 
we are very much occupied, the time passes 


20 


JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 


quickly; and I have been quite busy since 
I left you.” 

“ And did you say that you walked to Can- 
ton?” 

“ No, mother, I didn’t walk a step.” 

“ Then you took the Providence cars ? ” 

“ Well, mother, it was a kind of a provi- 
dence car.” 

John’s statement at once relieved the old 
lady’s mind; but those of our readers who 
are not intimately acquainted with the geog- 
raphy of Massachusetts may be somewhat puz- 
zled at this. For the information of foreign- 
ers and uneducated people in general, we must 
mention that there is a thriving village on the 
Boston and Providence Railroad, about ten 
miles from Roxbury, which rejoices in the 
name of Canton. 

It may here be observed that the young 
man’s mind had got into a kind of chrono- 
logical muddle, and the days and nights were 
mixed up together in the most miscellaneous 
manner. We, who are competent to solve 
any ordinary problem, furnish our young read- 
ers with this explanation. John left our 
American soil on Tuesday morning, at or 


THE AIR -LINE TO CHINA 


21 


about six o’clock. He is twelve hours — there 
or thereabouts — passing through the earth. 
This brings him to China also in the morn- 
ing, as everything is topsyturvy on the other 
side of the globe. His walk to Canton fills 
up most of the day, — Tuesday night here. 
He sleeps in Canton one night. W ednesday 
here; leaves Canton, via Air Line, the next 
morning, — Wednesday night here; and ar- 
rives at Jamaica Plain on Thursday morning. 
Absent from home forty-eight hours; twenty- 
four consumed in travelling via Air Line; 
twelve in pedestrian excursion through the 
Kwangtung country in China; and twelve in 
pecuniary negotiations and sleep at the Brit- 
ish and American Coffee-House, Canton. 
This makes everything clear and consistent. 
We would simply say that, when John first 
told us his singular tale of adventure, we re- 
marked that he seemed to have had a very 
small allowance of food, as he ate but one 
good meal in the whole forty-eight hours. 
To which he replied in a rather lofty manner, 
which repressed all further comment on our 
part, that, when the mind was filled with great 
thoughts, it didn’t require much to sustain the 


22 


JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 


body. We would like to take John as a 
boarder. But he is now on his feet again, 
and we let him speak for himself. 

As soon as I found myself alone with 
my young brother Bob, — a bright fellow he 
was, and quick at a bargain, — I told him in 
strict confidence the whole story of my adven- 
tures, and then laid before him my plans for 
the future, in carrying out which plans I should 
need his cooperation. 

I am now going,” said I, “ to Mr. Simp- 
son’s office, and shall pay him handsomely for 
the papers I have sold. I then propose to con- 
tract with him for the New York and Boston 
daily papers, paying for six months in advance, 
to be delivered to you every morning at half- 
past five o’clock precisely. At six o’clock you 
will drop the bundle, carefully made up and 
nicely secured, as I shall direct Mr. Simpson, 
right through the centre of the hole, to which 
I will direct you by and by, always being 
very careful to let it fall from your hand at 
a height of four feet above the surface of the 
earth; in which case it will, of course, rise 
just four feet above the surface on the other 
side, and I shall be able to secure it without 


THE AIR -LINE TO CHINA 


23 


difficulty. I will pay you fifteen per cent, on 
the net profits of the enterprise for the first 
six months, which ought to be regarded as a 
liberal compensation for the small amount of 
time that you will be obliged to give to the 
work. 

Now, Bob, listen to what I am about 
to say with strict attention. On every Sat- 
urday morning you must delay dropping your 
bundle for half an hour; and between six and 
hall-past six o’clock be on the careful look- 
out for a bundle which I shall send to you 
from the other side. This will contain my 
remittance for the week, which I wish you to 
deposit to mother’s credit in three places, the 
names of which I give you on paper. She can 
then draw from time to time such sums as 
she may need. 

“ I shall remain at home for a few days 
and arrange to be in China next Monday 
evening. On Tuesday morning you will for- 
ward the bundle of papers.” 

“ Are you going to tell mother and sister 
all about this?” said Bob. 

“No; it would only worry them. I shall 
merely say that I have a great opening for 


24 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

making money, and shall be obliged to be 
absent from home for several months.’^ 

“ I think,” said Bob, chuckling, — Bob la- 
boured under the delusion that he was a wag, 
— “ that it is a great opening, or, rather, I 
might say, a lengthy opening.” 

Everything was duly arranged according 
to the programme; and, on the following 
Monday, I bade adieu for awhile to the sweet 
light of day, — I don't mean that I said ex- 
actly these words as I stood on the edge of 
the hole, — but that is the way in which it 
would be expressed in a book, — and jumped 
boldly into the dark abyss. In due time I 
arrived safely in China, and took lodgings 
in a small country inn about two miles off, 
as I did not care to show myself at the Can- 
ton Coffee-House until I had the papers in 
my possession. 

It was with a somewhat anxious heart that 
I went to my Air Line Station, as I had taken 
a fancy to call it, on Tuesday evening. 


CHAPTER 11. 


HOW JOHN GOT INTO TROUBLE IN CHINA 

It was Tuesday evening in good old Massa- 
chusetts, but not far from the break of day 
in China. In order that I might be more 
sure to catch the bundle of papers on its ar- 
rival, I had woven a network with my strong 
twine, and securely fastened it to a stout 
wooden hoop. This I then attached to a pole 
about six feet in length, and stood ready to 
swing the net under the package as soon as 
it came within reach. The hour at which I 
had calculated that the bundle ought to come 
in sight, provided Bob had been prompt to 
the time that I had prescribed, had now passed, 
and I began to feel excited and uneasy. 

What if Bob had forgotten to hold the pack- 
age high enough from the surface when he 
dropped it, and so the momentum had not 
25 


26 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

proved sufficient to drive it clear through the 
hole? What if it had struck against the sides 
of the cavity, and so the friction had stopped 
it on the way? What if the velocity “with 
which it must have fallen during the first few 
thousand miles had torn the package in pieces, 
and the papers had been left floating about in 
the centre of the earth? What if Bob had 
been taken ill? ” Just at this moment my fears 
and speculations were arrested by the sight of 
a small white object, looking like a flake of 
snow, away down the hole, hundreds of feet 
away, as it seemed to me. My heart almost 
ceased to beat; the white object was coming 
nearer and nearer and looking larger and 
larger every second. But it is moving slower 
and slower all the time as if it was nearly tired 
out! Perhaps it will not come quite within 
reach after all. What an awful disappoint- 
ment that would be! No, it doesn’t quite stop 
— up it comes — ten feet more and I will 
have it ; five feet more — hurrah ! underneath 
goes the stout net, and the precious bundle 
is clasped safely in my arms. 

I was so exhausted by anxiety and excite- 
ment that I had to sit down for awhile, that 


INTO TROUBLE IN CHINA 


27 


I might recover my strength. I really do not 
think that I was half so much overcome when 
I first came out of the hole myself. 

And now for the city, to keep my appoint- 
ment with the gentlemen at the Coffee-House. 

I had hired a pony to carry me to Canton, 
and had fastened it to a tree near by; and 
very soon I was galloping off like lightning. 
About ten o’clock, I reached the hotel; and, 
after stopping for a glass of water at the office 
to clear my throat, I entered the room where 
r knew my patrons would be assembled, and 
threw my bundle down upon the table. 

Every man there startM to his feet; but 
such was their surprise at my appearance — 
for not a soul amongst them ever dreamed that 
I would keep my appointment — that for one 
or two minutes, as before, not a word was 
spoken. While they all stood around staring 
at me as if I had just dropped from the clouds, 
I proceeded very leisurely to untie the strings 
of the package, when, with a simultaneous 
movement, my eager customers rushed toward 
the table, reaching out their hands frantically 
for the papers. 

“Gentlemen,” said I, in a clear, collected 


28 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

voice, before proceeding to distribute the 
mail, allow me to offer a few brief remarks.” 
I had written out this speech, and committed 
it to memory. “ It is very natural that you 
should have great curiosity to know by what 
means I have managed to redeem the pledge 
that I gave you a short time ago. In the 
presence of gentlemen so enlightened as you 
are, I hardly need to say that the speedy com- 
munication which I have been enabled to make 
with the Western world, is effected by no 
supernatural agency, but by a wonderful dis- 
covery in the realms of nature, the precise 
character of which I do not at present consider 
it expedient to disclose. Let it suffice that 
I am able to furnish you, at reasonable rates, 
with the latest intelligence from the United 
States of America; and I wish it to be dis- 
tinctly understood that, if I ever have reason 
to suspect that my movements are watched, 
or that any efforts are made to detect my 
secret, from that time my contract with you 
is at an end. I also desire to stipulate that 
no statement of my transactions with you shall 
be allowed to find its way into the public prints, 
either in China or America. Let the whole 


INTO TROUBLE IN CHINA 


29 


matter remain a profound secret between us; 
your own interest will be consulted by this as 
well as mine. If, indeed, it should so happen 
that you should ever see any remarkable and 
novel movement in the heavens, of course I 
cannot hinder you from forming your own 
impressions, and making your own deductions 
from the phenomena. 

“ And now, gentlemen, every morning be- 
tween ten and eleven o’clock, I propose to be 
here with the papers; price one dollar per 
copy, cash on delivery” 

The bundle, containing one hundred papers, 
was immediately disposed of, some gentlemen 
taking two or three, and others half a dozen. 

The tongues of my patrons were now un- 
loosed, and they all acceded unhesitatingly to 
the terms which I had proposed. An elderly 
Englishman, with a very white waistcoat and 
a very large watch-chain, came up to me, and, 
patting my shoulder, said Why, my son, 
you have done better than you promised; you 
have given us the newspapers in much less 
than thirty-six hours after their issue at 
home.” 

“Yes, sir,” I replied; “I intended to get 


30 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

them here in about sixteen hours ; but I 
thought it more prudent to say thirty-six, be- 
cause — because ” — I hardly knew what rea- 
son to give without betraying myself — be- 
cause, sir, I wasn’t certain how the magnetic 
currents might operate.” 

“ Ah-hah-ah, I begin to see. Magnetic cur- 
rents in the heavens, in the atmosphere.” 

“ Yes, sir,” I answered, promptly, “ in the 
atmosphere ” 

This was true enough; but I could not say 
in the heavens without telling an untruth, and 
this I always regarded as a great sin. 

'' Don’t you think,” continued my English 
friend, that, when you bring the American 
papers over, you could just stop on the way 
and get a copy or two of The London 
Times? ” 

“ I do not go for the papers myself.” 

“ You don’t mean to say that they come 
entirely by themselves ? ” he replied, looking 
more perplexed and astounded than I can de- 
scribe. 

“ Of course not,” I said, breaking into a 
hearty laugh. “ I have a partner on the other 


INTO TROUBLE IN CHINA 3 1 

side, who will forward them to me every 
morning.” 

“ Then they do come of themselves, after 
they are once started ? ” 

“ Why, yes,” I said, feeling a little em- 
barrassed, and very much afraid that I might 
commit myself, “ after the proper impulse and 
direction are given, they do come of them- 
selves.” 

“ But how, in the name of all that is mar- 
vellous, after the package gets into the right 
magnetic current, does it manage to alight in 
this vicinity? ” 

‘‘ That is easily explained by the laws of 
gravity.” 

The attention of all present was arrested 
by this conversation, and I began to feel that 
I was getting upon dangerous ground. 

“ Excuse me, gentlemen,” I said, taking 
hold of the handle of the door, “ from answer- 
ing any more questions at this time. My mind 
is getting a little confused ; and, what is more, 
I am very hungry.” Upon which I retired to 
the dining-room. 

Everything went on successfully during the 
remainder of the week; all the packages ar- 


32 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

rived safely and in good order, and on Friday 
evening I was ready to remit several hundred 
dollars to my brother. At the same time, I 
thought that it was proper for me to write 
a few lines to my good mother; and accord- 
ingly I sat down and made out quite a long 
letter, which I enclosed in the same bundle with 
the money. 

On Saturday evening, the papers arrived 
half an hour later than usual, as I had ar- 
ranged with Bob; and on the wrapper I was 
delighted to read, in great, scrawling letters : 

All right: money and letters received” 

Oh Sunday, as I was lying in my hammock, 
and thinking of home, it came to my mind that 
my dear mother had probably expected me to 
pass the day with her; and then for the first 
time it flashed across me that, when I wrote 
her on Friday, I entirely forgot that she sup- 
posed me all the while to have been in the 
little town of Canton, on the Boston and Provi- 
dence Railroad. “ What on earth,” I said to 
myself, will she imagine when she reads my 
letter ? I certainly must have betrayed myself. 
I don’t remember exactly what it was that 
I wrote ; but there must have been some things 





INTO TROUBLE IN CHINA 


35 


in the letter that will lead the poor old lady 
to suppose that I am crazy. Well, perhaps 
I shall know more about it when the next 
bundle comes; and I will try to be patient 
until then.” 

The next morning I awaited the usual ar- 
rival with great anxiety; and, as soon as the 
package came into my hands, I tore off the 
outer covering, and, to my great relief, found 
a letter in my mother’s handwriting, ad- 
dressed : 


Master John Whopper, 

‘‘ Canton, Mass.” 

It read as follows: 

Roxbury, March, 1867. 

‘‘ My Dearest John : — I was very much 
disappointed that you did not come home to 
pass the Sabbath. I had a nice dinner all 
ready for you ; and your little sister cried hard 
when she found that you were not to sit down 
with us. We were all very glad, however, to 
get your letter; and I am thankful that you 
have been so prospered in your business. I 
had no idea that you would be able to make so 


36 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

much money by selling papers in Canton ; they 
must be a great reading community. I hope, 
my dear son, that all is made honestly. There 
are some things in your letter which have puz- 
zled me a little, and I do not know that I 
exactly understand all that you say. You 
also speak of visiting the Joss-house once or 
twice. I never knew any family of that name : 
only I happen to remember that, up in Man- 
chester, there were quite a large number of 
people by the name of Josslyn ; and sometimes 
the boys used to call them, in sport, ‘ the 
Josses.’ It is not a good habit to give nick- 
names to other persons, especially where you 
visit the family. You also speak of their burn- 
ing a great deal of coloured paper, and a great 
many scented sticks before an image. I asked 
Bob what he thought this meant ; but he 
jumped right behind the closet door, and made 
the most extraordinary noises with his mouth 
that I ever heard; and, when he came out 
again, his eyes were full of tears, and he looked 
as if he had had a fit. ‘ Bob,’ said I, ‘ what 
is the matter ? ’ ‘I have had a high-strike,’ 
— he should have said high-sterick, — ‘ I do 
have ’em sometimes.’ ‘ Robert,’ I said, very 


INTO TROUBLE IN CHINA 3/ 

seriously, ‘ what do you think your brother 
means ? ' 

Well,' said he, ‘ I shouldn’t wonder if 
the Josses had a bust of Daniel Webster or 
Henry Clay in their parlour, and perhaps they 
burn things around it to keep off the flies.’ 
Then he began to laugh again, and I could 
not tell whether he was in earnest or not. I 
am not very much pleased to hear you say 
that you go out in the afternoon to fly kites 
with a parcel of old mandarins. I think that 
you might find some better use for your time; 
and I am afraid, from the way in which you 
speak of them, that these old mandarins are 
not very respectable characters. Your brother 
says that kite-flying means speculating, and 
that the mandarins are probably brokers. I 
trust, my dear boy, that you are not making 
any of your money in this way. Who is this 
Chim-jung-tsee, who is to be your teacher? 
It is a very strange name for a Christian to 
be called by, and I don’t like the sound of it. 
And what do you mean when you say you 
want to learn the language, so that you may 
be able to talk with the natives? I never 
stopped in Canton but once, and that was 


38 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

when the axle-tree of the engine, or something 
else, broke down. There were a good many 
people from the village came up to the depot 
then; and I heard them talk for more than 
an hour, and I understood every word they 
said. I am almost afraid that your application 
to business, and selling your papers at such 
a profit, is turning your brain. You must not 
work too hard, and you must be careful about 
your diet. I shall try and send you a bundle 
of doughnuts next week, when I fry. There 
is something in your letter about eating rats 
and birds’ nests, and other horrible things. I 
suppose that you intend that for a joke. I 
wish that you would tell me where you pass 
your evenings, and what kind of books you 
are reading, and how many meeting-houses 
there are in Canton, and where you go to 
meeting. Whenever you have to stay there 
over the Sabbath, I would like to have you 
write out a full account of the sermons that 
you hear. We all hope that you will come 
to see us next Saturday night. Bob says that 
you are so busy that you will not be able to 
leave; and that you have to sit up all night, 
and then sleep in the daytime. Bob and Mamie 


INTO TROUBLE IN CHINA 


39 


send their best love. I will send a pair of 
socks with the doughnuts. Your little sister 
says: ‘ Tell brother that I want him to bring 
me something pretty from Canton.’ I don’t 
know but she thinks you are away off in the 
great city of Canton, in China. Write as often 
as you can to 

“ Your very affectionate mother, 

Deborah Whopper.” 

I did not know whether to laugh or cry 
when I had read the letter, and so I did a little 
of both. I could not bear to think that my 
mother should be so deceived and so bewil- 
dered; but it would distress her sadly if she 
really knew where I had gone, and how I 
got there. I had some doubts, too, whether 
she would be able to keep the secret long, 
for they worm everything out of her at the 
Dorcas Society. So I concluded that I would 
write her another letter, at the end of the 
week, which wouldn’t give her any trouble. 
Week after week passed by without any in- 
terruption of my business ; and I devoted three 
hours every day to the study of the Chinese 
language, under the direction of Chim-jung- 


40 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

tsee, a young Chinaman who spoke pigeon 
English very well, and had been highly recom- 
mended by one of the waiters at the hotel. 
He was a very* sleek, smooth-spoken fellow: 
the top of his shaved head shone like a bil- 
liard-ball, and his tail hung four feet and a 
half from his shoulders. I didn’t altogether 
like the expression of his eyes; for, although 
they were usually turned up at the outside 
corners, like other Chinese eyes, sometimes I 
would catch him with one of them turned down 
at the corner, and then he seemed to be look- 
ing at me with one eye, and looking out of 
the window with the other. His nails were 
longer than any I had seen in Canton; and 
he usually wore stout leather cots on the ends 
of his fingers, to protect them from injury. 
I never knew him to lose his temper but once; 
and that was when, just for the fun of the 
thing, I managed to snip off an inch or two 
from one of his nails with my pen-knife. 
From that moment, I have reason to believe 
that he became my deadly foe. He couldn’t 
have made more of an outcry had he lost his 
arm. 

One d^y, as I entered my room, I found 


INTO TROUBLE IN CHINA 4I 

the young man carefully studying a copy of 
The New York Times, which, contrary to 
my custom, I had thoughtlessly left exposed 
on the desk. After the hours of study were 
over, he asked, in an offhand kind of way, 
how far New York was from Canton. I 
thought it likely that the fellow knew already, 
and therefore I did not hesitate to tell him. 
He then took up the New York paper again, 
and, looking with great care at the date, be- 
gan to count his fingers, mumbling something 
to himself in Chinese which I could not under- 
stand. Nothing more passed between us on 
the subject; but I felt from that day that I 
had a spy upon me. I did not like to dis- 
charge him from my service, because that 
would only excite him to greater mischief, 
and I never thought for a moment of taking 
him into my confidence. 

One Friday morning, just as I had finished 
dressing, there was a loud knock at the door 
of my room; and three Chinese officials en- 
tered, who, having first tied my arms behind 
my back, and fastened a short chain to my 
ankles, proceeded to search every nook and 
corner of the premises. 


42 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

The evening before, I had fortunately con- 
verted all the money that I had on hand into 
a bill of exchange, and this was concealed 
about my person. The great object of their 
search appeared to be newspapers; and, after 
rifling my boxes and desk of everything in 
this form, I was marched off into the street, 
without a word being said by my captors. To 
all my remonstrances, the only reply that I 
got was the holding up before my face of a 
piece of yellow paper, with a huge green seal 
in the corner. Without being subjected to any 
form of trial, I was taken at once to prison. I 
found myself the occupant of a cell about ten 
feet square, with one window secured by an 
iron grating. The furniture of the cell con- 
sisted of a bamboo chair, a small table, and 
a low bedstead. I was glad to find that every- 
thing looked neat and clean. I remained in 
this place for several days in utter solitude, 
except when my meals were brought to me; 
and then all that I could get out of my at- 
tendant was, Me no talkee.” I had not the 
slightest doubt who it was that had caused 
me to be imprisoned; and I determined that. 


INTO TROUBLE IN CHINA 


43 


if Chim-jung-tsee ever came within my reach 
again, I would cut off every one of his atro- 
cious finger-nails. As I lay there thinking 
over all my wonderful experiences, I could 
not but feel sad at what I knew must be Bob’s 
disappointment when, after waiting hour by 
hour for my package to arrive on Saturday 
morning, nothing appeared. Anticipating that 
I might have trouble in China, I had directed, 
in case my remittance did not reach him, that 
he should send no more papers through the 
hole, so that no loss would occur on this score ; 
and I knew that he was shrewd enough to 
keep my mother and sister from having any 
undue anxiety. Then I fell to wondering 
whether my friends at the coffee-house had 
all forgotten me, and how they managed to 
get along without their papers. I soon found 
out that they had not quite forgotten me; 
although, for obvious reasons, it would not 
do for them to interfere with the authorities 
in my behalf. 

One afternoon, as I stood looking out from 
my window upon an open square, where hun- 
dreds of people, young and old, high and low, 
were amusing themselves by flying kites, I 


44 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

observed, among the monsters that filled the 
air, — dragons, griffins, cormorants, sharks, 
and numberless other fantastic shapes, — one 
kite that arrested my eye and fixed my atten- 
tion. It was in the form of an American eagle, 
with red and white stripes on the wings, and 
brilliant stars all over the body. From the 
peculiar movements of this kite, I was led to 
believe that it was an omen of hope for me, 
and that whoever held the string intended to 
do me a service. In the course of half an 
hour the kite was floated directly across my 
window, and I saw that there was a paper 
pinned on the back. As soon as it came within 
reach, I thrust my hands through the bars, 
and in an instant tore the paper off. Unfold- 
ing it, I found in the inside three steel-spring 
saws, and read these words : “ As soon as 
you have sawed away the bars, tie a white 
rag on the grating. On the first evening after 
this, when the wind is favourable, a kite will 
be flown to the window. Pull in the string 
very carefully, and you will come to a larger 
cord. Keep pulling until a rope-ladder reaches 
you. Fasten this securely to the window, and 
follow the ladder down over the wall. You 


INTO TROUBLE IN CHINA 


45 


will there find your old pony fastened to a 
tree; jump on and be oflF.' Strapped on his 
back you will see a can of condensed food and 



a jar of water, enough to supply you for some 
days. Success to you!” This paper I at 
once tore into small pieces, and, as soon as 
it was dark, threw the fragments out of the 


46 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

window. I now went to work with a light 
heart to saw away the iron bars, preserving 
the filings, which I moulded up with a bit of 
bread, to fill the gaps that I made with my 
saws in the grating, in order to avoid detec- 
tion in case the room should be examined. 
In the course of about a week, I had cut 
through the iron so far that I knew it would 
be easy, with one good wrench, to tear away 
the grating ; and then, with a throbbing pulse, 
in the afternoon I tied a piece of white cloth 
on the sash, as I had been directed. That 
night there was not a breath of wind, and I 
knew that I had no hope of rescue at present. 
I tried to sleep, but found myself constantly 
rising up and listening for the breeze. The 
next day the kites were flying merrily; and 
among them I saw the good old eagle, with 
a large round white spot on his back, which 
I interpreted to mean that my signal had been 
discovered. It seemed to me that the sun 
would never set that evening, and I was in 
mortal fear that when it did the wind would 
also go down. At last, the shadows of night 
descended upon the earth, and still the breeze 
blew finely. I waited at the window, and 


INTO TROUBLE IN CHINA 


47 


watched with all my eyes until near midnight, 
when, to my delight, I saw the shadow of a 
kite coming between me and the stars. With 
one quick, strong pull I wrenched the grating 
out, and stood with my head projecting from 
the hole, ready to catch the kite. As soon 
as I got hold of it, I found that there were 
two strings attached; and I was careful to 
cut only one, as the other was probably in- 
tended to remove the kite, and pull it to the 
ground again. After hauling in the twine and 
the stronger cords fastened to it, I found the 
rope-ladder in my grasp; and in a very short 
time it was fastened to the iron bars below the 
grating that I had removed. At the same 
moment, I felt that some one at the other end 
was hauling the ladder in tight, and no doubt 
securing it below. Five minutes later and I 
was free! Not a human being was in sight 
as I stood once more on the earth; my con- 
federate, whoever he was, — now that every- 
thing was accomplished that he could do, — 
probably thinking it was safer for him to be 
out of the way. But there stood my beloved 
pony, who had carried me so often from the 
Air Line Station to Canton ; and, before many 


48 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

seconds had passed, he was making the sparks 
fly under his feet as we headed for the old 
familiar spot in the country. It was not neces- 
sary for me to guide him; dark as it was, the 
pony knew the way well enough; and I soon 
reached the cavity, through which I hoped to 
visit “ my own, my native land,” where people 
are not arrested without knowing what is the 
crime with which they are charged. Remov- 
ing the jar of water and the can of food from 
my pony’s back, without stopping to think why 
I did it, but following a sort of instinct which 
afterward saved me from perishing, I fastened 
these articles on my shoulders and around my 
waist; then, sobbing, threw my arms around 
poor pony’s neck, and with a pang bade him 
good-bye. He flew snorting away to his 
stable, where I have no doubt he soon found 
comfort in a quart or two of rice and a peck 
of oats. 

And now, strange to say, although I had- 
accomplished the journey through the earth 
three times with entire safety, I shrank with 
dread from the thought of jumping once more 
in the dark hole beneath. I suppose the trials 
which I had just endured had unstrung my 


INTO TROUBLE IN CHINA 


49 


nerves, and that the solemn hour of the night 
made the leap seem all the more fearful. And 
yet through I must go. China was not the 
place for me to remain in any longer; and 
so I stepped down some two or three feet into 
the cavity, and stood upon a little projection 
of rock, feeling that it would require less 
effort to drop from this place downward than 
to leap from the surface. Seizing the pro- 
jecting rock with my hands, I then let go, 
and down I went. It was a relief to find that 
I was now fairly under way; and when, after 
the lapse of a few hours, I began to see day- 
light brightening around me, I thought that 
all my cares were about to end. Brighter 
and brighter it grew, and I had almost reached 
the edge of the hole, when, to my horror, I 
found that the motion of my body was ceasing 
altogether. Could it be that I had made a 
fatal mistake in dropping from that inner 
ledge on the other side instead of jumping 
boldly from the surface? It must be so. Oh, 
what a fool I was ! I might have known that 
the projectile power would not be sufficient to 
take me clear through ! What will become of 
me? For, at this moment, I felt myself begin- 


50 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

ning to sink back again into the bowels of the 
earth. And there through the long, long 
hours, I swung backward and forward like 
an enormous pendulum, — every time that I 
rose and fell, with a shorter and shorter range, 
— ' until I stopped in equilibrium at the centre 
of the earth. The sensation of absolute rest 
was more terrible than motion. There I was 
alive, buried deeper than any other being ever 
was before. Was there any possible way in 
which I could extricate myself? I now made 
a great effort to collect my thoughts, and give 
to this question careful consideration. At last, 
a bright idea came into my mind. 


CHAPTER III. 


HOW JOHN WHOPPER GOT CAUGHT IN THE 
EARTH, AND THEN GOT OUT AGAIN 

The idea that came to me was at first very 
vague and indefinite ; neither was it at all cer- 
tain that my plan could be carried out. It 
had been suggested by a peculiar sound which 
fell upon my ear as soon as I became station- 
ary and which had continued to reverberate, 
through the darkness all the while. As I had 
been obliged, while in China, to be about so 
much at night, I had provided myself with 
one of those compact lanterns, which can be 
folded up and carried in the pocket, with a 
good supply of best wax matches. The first 
thing to be done was to strike a light, and see 
what sort of a place I wias floating in. The sen- 
sation of floating in equilibrium was delight- 
ful and soothing; and yet I felt that it would 
SI 


$2 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

be a relief to touch something solid. As soon 
as my candle lighted up the cavity, I saw that 
the walls of my strange abode were perforated 
in various places by holes, some of which were 
large enough to admit my body. Taking my 
cap from my head, I found that by waving 
it in the air I could readily waft my body in 
whatever direction I chose; and, in less than 
a minute, I found myself comfortably seated 
in the largest and most convenient of these 
cavities. I now felt the need of food and 
drink; and, before proceeding to do anything 
else, I opened one of the cans of concentrated 
meat, and, with a glass of water from the 
jar which I had so fortunately brought with 
me, I made quite a nice meal. With all the 
burden that weighed upon my mind, I could 
not help smiling when I thought that I was 
the only person that had ever dined in that 
particular locality. After dinner, I stretched 
myself out, and took a good long sleep. At 
last I awoke as bright as a lark, and began 
to explore the surrounding region. The point 
that I wished particularly to determine was 
this : What is the cause of the low, grinding 
sound that I continually hear ? and from what 


CAUGHT IN THE EARTH 


53 


locality does it proceed? Upon the answer 
to these questions depended all my hopes of 
escape. Strapping the jar and cans securely 
about me, I thought that I would try to pene- 
trate the orifice which I had entered; but, 
as soon as I got upon my feet, the slight mus- 
cular effort that I made in walking lifted me 
again into the air, and I found myself once 
more in equilibrium. At first this discour- 
aged and perplexed me; but, observing that 
I could propel myself with the greatest ease 
by just fanning the air, as before, with my 
cap, I concluded that this was a very easy 
as well as rapid mode of locomotion. As I 
advanced farther and farther into the cavity, 
I found that the grating noise, to which I 
have alluded, grew louder and more distinct; 
and, after moving along perhaps about two 
miles, I came in sight of an immense cylinder, 
the size of which it was impossible for me to 
^ estimate, as I could see only a small section 
of the surface. Floating on, I laid myself 
alongside of the great tube, and, taking my 
knife from my pocket, tapped the cylinder 
several times, and found that it was composed 
of some very hard and resonant metal, en- 


54 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOV 

tirely unlike anything that I had ever seen 
before. It was of a bright vermilion colour, 
highly polished in certain places, and some- 
what rough and honeycombed in others. 
From the vibration that came when I struck 
it with my knife, I inferred that it must be 
hollow. I only needed to try one further ex- 
periment, in order to be satisfied that my sus- 
picions and hopes as to the nature of this 
cylinder, and the cause of the peculiar sound 
that I had heard, and which now reverberated 
loudly on every side, were correct. Observ- 
ing that, at a point not far off, the cylinder 
came almost in contact with the wall that sur- 
rounded it, I approached the spot, and stuck 
two red wafers, one on the cylinder, and the 
other directly opposite to it on the wall, with 
a distance of not more than an inch between 
them. I would here observe, in explanation 
of my happening to have these wafers about 
me, that they still continued to be used in 
China, and I generally carried half a dozen 
or more about me in a stiff envelope. Now 
came the crisis of my destiny! If the relative 
position of the wafers remained for an hour 
unchanged, there was no hope for poor John 


CAUGHT IN THE EARTH 


55 


Whopper. With my watch — which, by the 
way, I had protected against the disturbance 
of the magnetic currents by a compensation 
balance — in my hand, I gazed earnestly and 
anxiously upon the two wafers. Fifteen min- 
utes passed. In this time, the earth had re- 
volved one ninety-sixth part of its daily course, 
and the inhabitants on the surface had trav- 
elled two hundred and fifty miles. If my 
hopes are well founded, it is hardly time yet 
for me to perceive any change in the two red 
spots upon which my gaze is fixed. A half- 
hour slowly passes. I do believe that the 
wafers are not directly opposite to each other! 
Let me wait a little while longer, that I may 
be certain. There is no mistake about it, — 
the right edge of one wafer just touches the 
left edge of the other. Eureka! Hurrah! I 
am right. I am right. This big cylinder is 
the axis of the earth, fixed and immovable; 
and these huge walls are revolving around it. 
There's a discovery to make a man immortal ! 
What fools the old geographers were that 
used to say, “ the axis is an imaginary line, 
running through," etc., etc. The name of 
Whopper will now be heralded to all coming 


56 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

generations with the names of Bacon and New* 
ton and La Place and Humboldt, and all the 
rest of them! Fame, with her great silver 
trumpet — 

‘‘ Stop, my boy,’’ I imagine the impatient 
reader is now saying. “ You had better get 
out into daylight before you crow so loud; 
we don’t see how your great discovery is going 
to help you to do that.” I presume not; but 
you will see, if you are only patient. 

I now reasoned thus with myself : If the 
axis of the earth is hollow, — about which 
I have no doubt, — and open at both ends, 

— inasmuch as it is winter at the south pole 
when it is summer at the north, and vice versa, 

— there must always be a strong current of 
air passing through it, — the cold air of one 
extreme rushing into the warmer region at 
the opposite pole. I have, then, only to find 
some way of introducing my body into the 
interior of this axis ; and, by taking advantage 
of the current, I shall soon be able to see day- 
light again.” 

The next thing, therefore, to be done was 
to find out whether it would be possible for 
me to get inside the cylinder. I had observed 


CAUGHT IN THE EARTH 


57 


that in some places the metal of which it was 
composed showed the appearance of being 
honeycombed; and this gave me some en- 
couragement. I now crawled, or, rather, 
swam, about the surface of this cylindrical 
mass of metal, and soon found an orifice large 



enough for me to thrust in my hand and arm 
up to the elbow. True enough, there was a 
strong draught in there, so strong that it 
seemed as if my arm would be wrenched from 
the socket. Every doubt and difficulty were 
now removed, if I could only find a hole in 
the cylinder three feet in diameter; and, after 
an hour’s search, I lighted upon just what I 


58 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

wanted, — a good smooth opening, and some- 
what larger than was actually needed to pass 
my body through. This, however, was for- 
tunate, because I must have space enough to 
project myself with some force from the ori- 
fice, or I might strike the side of the cylinder, 
and be dashed into fragments. 

Everything was now ready. Nerving my 
whole system for the terrible effort and the 
frightful risk, I sprang with all my might 
into the axis of the earth. After what I had 
experienced when I put my arm into the cylin- 
der, I expected, of course, as soon as my whole 
body was thrown in there, that I should un- 
dergo the terrible sensation of being whirled 
upward by a tornado. Instead of this, to my 
astonishment, the moment that I had cleared 
the orifice through which I jumped, I felt as 
though I were floating stationary in the air. 
Could it be that I was deceived in regard to 
the existence of the current? This could 
hardly be. It was not possible that I was 
stationary, for the hole through which I leaped 
had vanished in a flash. It then, for the first 
time, occurred to me that, being in the current, 
and as it were a part of the current, moving 


CAUGHT IN THE EARTH 


59 


in it and with it without any resistance, it was 
impossible for me to tell whether I was ad- 
vancing or not; and then I remembered how 
men that went up in balloons, after they had 
lost sight of the earth, could not perceive 
whether they were in motion or at rest; and 
how our teacher at the Roxbury school used 
to explain the fact that we were not conscious 
of the rotation of the globe on which we stood, 
upon the same principle. When I thought of 
all this, I broke into a loud laugh, and for a 
long time I could hear the echoes thundering 
through the cylinder. 

I cannot say how glad I felt that my jour- 
ney through the axis of the earth occurred at 
that period of the year when the current set 
from the south to the north. The prospect of 
safety, if I were to be discharged from the 
south pole, would be slight indeed; but famil- 
iarity with the writings of various explorers 
in the Arctic regions gave me the very natural 
feeling that I should be in a measure at home 
in that part of the world. 

The absence of any sense of motion, with 
the quietness and darkness that surrounded 
me, began to induce a feeling of weariness; 


60 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

and I thought that I should like to see how 
it looked where I was; so I lighted my lan- 
tern, which I had extinguished when I leaped 
into the axis, when the most dazzling and mar- 
vellous sight burst upon my view. I found 
that I was not very far from the side of the 
cylinder, which was polished — probably by 
the constant friction of the swift current pass- 
ing through it — so that it glistened like a dia- 
mond, only it was of one uniform vermilion 
hue. Reflected, as in a fiery mirror, I caught 
an occasional glimpse of myself, magnified to 
a gigantic size by the concave form of the 
cylinder, and elongated in the most remarkable 
manner by the rapidity with which I shot by 
the surface; and, after this, I had no further 
doubts as to whether I was moving on or 
standing still. I next amused myself by mak- 
ing all sorts of uproarious sounds, which were 
repeated up and down, and back and forth, 
from the metallic walls, until I was somewhat 
frightened at the cries I made; for it seemed 
as if fifty wild demons were shouting and 
yelling around me. There are some of my 
readers who will remember the old chemical 
chimney in Roxbury, and what strange sounds 


CAUGHT IN THE EARTH 


6l 


were heard there when the boys stood below, 
laughing and talking. What I now heard 
recalled most vividly all those experiences. To 
soothe my mind a little, I then took a jew’s- 
harp from my pocket and played the “ Star- 
Spangled Banner.” The effect was beautiful 
and almost magical, and I sank at once into a 
delicious reverie. 

But, as the time drew near when I supposed 
that I might expect to emerge from my present 
position, I began to feel anxious as to what 
would become of me when I came out. I 
anticipated, of course, that, moving at such 
a fearful rate, I must expect to shoot up rather 
high in the air; and the question was, where 
I should probably land. If, as is generally 
supposed, it is a clear, open sea at the pole, 
I shall not land at all, but come down into 
the water. In this case, I am inevitably lost; 
but still my faith was not shaken; after all 
that I had endured, it did not seem likely that 
I should be left to perish in the sea. I could 
do nothing but trust and wait. 

In process of time the light began to steal 
in upon the darkness, and I knew that another 
crisis was approaching, — the most trying and 


62 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

formidable that I had been called to encounter. 
And, shortly, out I went, high up in the air, 
— higher — higher, — until I thought that I 
should never come down again. But, after 
a time, I felt that I was descending, and the 
fear came upon me that I might tumble back 
once more into the axis of the earth. If I 
had reflected a moment, I might have per- 
ceived that this would be impossible, for, as 
soon as I had sunk from my elevation down 
to a point not more than a hundred feet from 
the end of the pole, I met the swift current 
of air rushing out, and was once more hoisted 
up in the clouds. This was repeated several 
times over; and I found myself in the condi- 
tion of a cork ball, sustained in the air by a 
stream of water from a fountain. It is a little 
odd that at this time there came to my mind 
a vivid recollection of such a cork ball that 
I used to see tossing about in front of the 
hotel that formerly stood at the corner of 
Tremont and Boylston Streets, in Boston. At 
last it occurred to me that, if at the time when 
I had nearly reached the highest point of my 
ascent, and therefore must be moving very 
slowly, I should fan the air with my cap, as 


CAUGHT IN THE EARTH 


63 


I did before, it might waft me out of the line 
of the north pole; and that I might as well 
come down into the sea and be drowned as 
to keep on bobbing up and down in this way 
for ever. The experiment was successful ; and 
the next time that I descended, I came gently, 
not into the water, but into a soft, yielding 
drift of snow, which entirely broke the force 
of my fall. 

I felt sure now that all was right, and, 
scrambling out of the snow, I looked about 
to see where I was. All around, in every 
direction, there was an open sea extending 
to the horizon ; and it was evident that I had 
lighted upon an iceberg, which had floated 
northward from a more southern region. Af- 
ter I had refreshed myself with a little food, 
I proceeded to explore the frozen island, of 
which I had so unexpectedly become the sole 
proprietor. 

I am afraid that some of my readers may 
think that there is a tone of exaggeration in 
my story as I proceed to narrate what I found 
there. Thus far, it must be allowed by all that 
I have kept within range of possibility, if not 
of probability; I have been careful to explain 


64 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

minutely and scientifically just how everything 
came about; and, if it should ever become as 
familiar a thing to travel through the earth 
as it is now to shoot over its surface on rail- 
roads, and send messages instantaneously from 
one end of the world to the other, this narra- 
tive will not sound so very strange, after all. 
But in telling what I found on the iceberg, and 
what happened to me there, I may have to tax 
somewhat the credulity of my readers. 


CHAPTER IV. AND LAST 

HOW JOHN WHOPPER GOT ALONG AT THE 
NORTH POLE 

I SHALL now give the general result of an 
exploration of the iceberg, which occupied me 
for several days. I use the word day in the 
ordinary sense, as indicating a period of 
twenty-four hours; although, during my stay 
in the arctic region, the daylight was perpetual. 
This frozen island, which was to be for a time 
my habitation, extended, so far as I could 
judge, over an area of about five hundred 
acres; but there were certain marks about the 
surface and cleavages on the sides which in- 
dicated that it was originally of much greater 
size. It was also very evident that it had 
assumed its form, and been detached from the 
shore, at some point on the coast many degrees 
remote from its present position, and had then 
65 


66 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

been driven toward the pole by some extraor- 
dinary current into which it had happened to 
fall. At some former period, this iceberg must 
have floated, or been stationary, in a region 
where game abounded and birds were plenty; 
where vessels sailed, and where vessels were 
wrecked; and, when it was launched from 
the shore, it carried oflf with it not less than 
an acre of good, rich loam, — the effect, prob- 
ably, of a landslide in the vicinity. It will, 
I think, be seen that it is only upon this general 
supposition that we can account for what I 
found there. I may here observe, before pro- 
ceeding further, that, while on three sides the 
walls of the berg rose almost perpendicularly 
out of the sea, yet on the remaining side there 
was quite an easy and gradual slope down 
to the water; and this may also serve to ex- 
plain how some of the things that I found 
on the island were thrown or lifted there. 

The food that I had brought with me from 
Canton was soon exhausted ; and the first 
great want that I experienced was the means 
of keeping my soul in my body. In the deep 
crevices of the ice, I found places where I 
could manage in a measure to shelter my body 


AT THE NORTH POLE 


67 


from the cold while I slept; but what reason- 
able prospect had I of finding food in this 
forlorn spot? I now began to feel the pangs 
of hunger ; but, instead of yielding to despair, 
with a stout heart, I determined to search the 
region thoroughly, and see if a kind Provi- 
dence had not made some provision for my 
wants. After roaming about for awhile, my 
foot struck upon a little keg, partially em- 
bedded in the ice; and, to my joy, I read the 
mark on the top, “ Bent’s Hard Crackers, Mil- 
ton, Mass.” It took me hardly a minute to 
kick it open; and there the crackers lay, as 
sound and sweet as when they were first 
packed. I do not know exactly how many 
I ate, but I should say not much over fifteen. 
The keg was then put in a safe place, where I 
should be certain to find it by and by. In the 
course of the forenoon, I came upon a frozen 
bear; and I also found, in the same vicinity, 
plenty of old barrel-staves, and broken hoops, 
and other pieces of wood, great and small, 
which I laid in a heap upon the earth. 
“ Now,” said I, ‘‘ we will have a bit of roast 
meat for dinner, with a few toasted crackers 
for dessert.” Before two o’clock, I had a 


68 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

bright fire burning, and a delicate slice of the 
bear roasting before it. 

The next thing to be done was to strip 
the bear of his skin; but this I found to be 
a difficult task. It had been a tough job to 
cut out with my jack-knife the frozen slice 
of meat upon which I had just dined; and it 
was impossible to strip off the skin without 
tearing it in pieces. A bright thought now oc- 
curred to me and I proceeded to kindle a fire 
all around the animal; and, when the heat 
had become strong enough just to loosen the 
hide from the carcass, I went to work, and, 
in an hour or two, had a nice warm robe to 
wrap myself in at night. At the same time I 
extinguished the fire, as I did not care to cook 
the entire bear all at once. 

My jar of water gave out the day that I 
was dropped upon the berg; and at first I 
thought that I could quench my thirst by eat- 
ing small bits of ice, but I soon found that this 
only increased the difficulty. I then remem- 
bered to have read in a magazine that the 
amount of caloric taken out of the system in 
order to melt the ice in one’s mouth was so 
great as to only increase the feeling of thirst. 


AT THE NORTH POLE 


69 


All anxiety, however, on this point was soon 
at an end; for the sun was now hot enough 
for an hour or two at noon to melt a sufficient 
quantity of the loose snow in certain localities 
to furnish all the water that I needed. 

With my bear meat and Bent’s crackers for 
food, and my bearskin for a blanket, I might 
now be considered for the present as above 
the reach of absolute want; and still it is not 
to be supposed that I jvas in a very contented 
and happy frame of mind. I was very thank- 
ful for all the mercies that I had received; 
and, when I looked back upon all the wonder- 
ful deliverances that I had experienced, I could 
not help feeling confident that all would go 
well with me hereafter.^ 

But the great want that I felt was a home, 
or, at least, something — some hut or hovel, 
or hole in the ground — to which I might 
retire when my labour was over, where I could 
eat my frugal meals, and lie down to slumber 
at night. I longed for a place in which I 
could feel that I was localized, around which 

* It will probably occur to the reader, that some one of 
Johnny’s adult friends has touched up the style a little along 
here. J. W. says that this is true. 


70 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

domestic associations might gradually entwine 
themselves, and where I might sing in the twi- 
light the songs of my childhood.^ 

The fifth day of my sojourn on the iceberg 
was the great day of discovery. I determined 
that morning that I would now make a thor- 
ough survey of the whole island. I knew that 
it would be rough work, and somewhat dan- 
gerous ; for, in some places, there were cavities 
fifty feet deep, and I should have to climb 
over some very steep ice, where it was as 
smooth as glass. Before starting, I pulled sev- 
eral nails out of the hoops that lay around, 
and drove them into the soles of my boots; 
and I was fortunate enough to find a good 
stout stick, into the end of which I also fas- 
tened one of the nails. Filling my pockets 
with crackers, and slinging a slice of cooked 
bear’s meat over my shoulder, I started off, 
having been careful first to pile up several 
loose blocks of ice in the form of a pillar, so 
that I might be able to find the place again. 
I then struck — as it afterward turned out 

* John informs the editor that he never wrote a word of the 
last lines, and that he thinks it about time for him to take the 
bellows again. 


AT THE NORTH POLE 


71 


most fortunately — for that side of the berg 
where the surface shelved off gradually to the 
water. About eleven o’clock, I found myself 
standing on quite a lofty peak of ice; and, 
looking down, my eyes fell upon a sight that 
almost took away 
my breath. Spread 
out before me on a 
level plain there lay 
a large black patch, 
which looked as 
though it must be 
earth ; and on the 
farther side, just 
where the berg be- 
gan to slope toward 
the sea, I thought 
that I saw some- 
thing that looked 
like a building! 

Could it be that the island was inhabited? 
Running, sliding, slipping down, as fast as 
I could go, in a short time I found that I was 
not mistaken in supposing that it was earth; 
for there lay, stretched out before me, an acre 
or so of ground, almost as smooth and level 



72 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

as a garden ; and, at the farther end of the plot, 
there stood, — not an ordinary house, not a 
barn, not an Esquimaux hut, not a country 
store, not a railroad depot, not a meeting-house, 
— but what do you imagine? I will tell you as 
soon as I get there. Rushing like mad across 
the ground, — oh, how pleasant it was to feel 
the soft soil under my cold feet ! — I came to 
what looked like a dismasted ship, imbedded 
clear up to the gunwale ^ in the ice. There 
lay the whole deck of a three-masted vessel, 
unbroken and undisturbed; but, as I soon as- 
certained, there was no hull underneath, for 
the deck had evidently been broken off from 
the lower parts of the ship, and thrown up 
the smooth, inclined plane of ice to the spot 
where I found it, and then been frozen in there. 
What a discovery this was! I did not know 
how to contain or how to express my delight; 
and, before beginning to explore the premises, 
the very first thing that I did was to rush up 
to the bell that hung near the bows, and ring 
it with all my might. You can’t tell how 

* Pronounced gunnell : “The uppermost bend which 
finishes the upper works of the hull, and from which the 
upper guns, if the vessel carry any, are pointed.” 


AT THE NORTH POLE 


73 


Strange it sounded, up there in that solitary, 
silent, arctic sea, to hear the loud clang of 
the old bell sounding out over the waters, as 
I tugged and tugged away at the rope. It 
would have done the hearts of “ Hooper & 
Son, Boston, Mass.,” — whose name I saw 
printed on it, — it would have done the whole 
firm good, to have heard it. After I had 
ceased ringing, and slowly tolled the bell for 
a few minutes, so that I might make it seem 
as if I were going to meeting in Roxbury, 
I sat down on the capstan to think matters 
over. Nothing had happened yet that excited 
me like this. Jumping through the earth, and 
then getting stuck in the centre; being blown 
through the axis, and lighting on an iceberg 
at the north pole, and all that sort of thing, 
I looked back upon rather as a matter of 
course. But to find myself sitting here on the 
deck of a three-master, with the cabins and 
offices at the stern all in good order, and the 
caboose-house in the centre, with the little fun- 
nel sticking out of the top, and a big boat close 
by it, covered with canvas, and a huge anchor 
at the bows, and spare rigging and spare masts 
lying all along the sides, and a real hell to 


74 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

ring, — this was a little too much, even for 
John Whopper. 

What was I to find in the cabins, and the 
offices, and the pantries, and the caboose- 
house? The caboose-house reminded me that 
I was getting hungry, and that it was near 
dinner-time. I had expected to make my meal 
of dry crackers and cold bear meat; but it 
occurred to me that, on such an occasion as 
the present, a luxurious repast would be more 
appropriate, as well as more agreeable, and 
that very possibly I might find in the caboose- 
house the materials for gratifying my appe- 
tite. I did not as yet feel quite prepared to 
visit the cabins at the stern, for I knew that 
I must become very much excited at what 
would be found there, and a good dinner 
would serve to strengthen my nerves, and^ set 
me up. I went, therefore, at once to the ca- 
boose, and slid back the door, which required 
considerable effort; and, sure enough, there 
was everything at hand that I expected, and 
a great deal more. The accident which lifted 
the deck from the hull of the ship must have 
happened about the middle of the forenoon; 
for there was the fire all ready to be lighted 


AT THE NORTH POLE 


75 


in the cooking-stove, — shavings, kindlings, 
and coal in place; and there lay the cooking 
utensils quite convenient. This was not all; 
the materials for the dinner had been brought 
up, — a great deal more than I could consume 
in a week. Immediately I took a match from 
my pocket, — there was a box of matches 
hanging on the wall, but I did not feel sure 
that they would be in working order, — and 
lighted the fire. The next thing that I did 
was to go and select a lump of clean, clear 
ice, to be melted in the kettle, that I might be 
ready to wash up my dishes properly after 
dinner. I tell you that I gave a big shout 
when I saw the smoke curling out of the fun- 
nel. I now proceeded, very deliberately, to 
select from the cans and bottles and jars, that 
were piled up in the corner, the various items 
of which I would make my dinner. The first 
thing that I settled upon was a dish of Par- 
ker's ox-tail soup," which I remembered to 
have eaten some time ago at the house of a 
benevolent gentleman in Washington Street, 
when he gave the newsboys a lunch. My sec- 
ond course should consist of a potted partridge, 
with tomato sauce, desiccated turnips (I didn’t 


76 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

know what desiccated meant, but I took it 
for granted that it was all right), and one 
or tW,o of Lewis’s pickles. I would then close 
with part of a jar of preserved peaches. I 
did not need to do much cooking in getting 
up this dinner; but I had hot soup, hot to- 
matoes, and warm turnips, which got a little 
smoked, and didn’t taste very good, — per- 
haps, however, that was because it was desic- 
cated. I enjoyed the dinner tremendously; 
and after it was over, and my dishes were 
all washed and put away, my eye lighted upon 
a box, half-full of cigars, on the shelf. My 
first thought was, Now I will have a cigar, 
as the gentlemen do that you see at the steps 
of the Tremont House in the afternoon, and 
that will make it seem more like home.” But, 
upon second thought, it occurred to me that 
this would probably make me so sick for the 
remainder of the day that I should be unable 
to do anything, and that I couldn’t spare the 
time. So I decided not to smoke until I had 
leisure enough to be ill for awhile. 

And now, with a throbbing heart, I turned 
my steps toward the cabin door, and entered 
the gangway. There were two or three doors 


AT THE NORTH POLE 


77 


on the sides of the narrow passage, which I 
did not care to open at present; and so I 
passed on to the central door that led into 
the main room. I had feared that I might be 
startled by the sight of dead bodies or skele- 
tons here; but there was nothing repulsive 
to be seen, nothing that looked like disorder 
or confusion. There stood the centre-table, 
with a few books and pamphlets lying on it, 
and two or three chairs drawn around, and 
a large lamp suspended above. There was 
the grate, containing a few half-consumed em- 
bers ; there was the compass, swinging between 
the stern windows. A nice Brussels carpet 
was under my feet ; and there were three doors 
on either side of the cabin opening into the 
staterooms. The vessel appeared to have been 
a first-class merchantman, fitted to carry half 
a dozen passengers; and how such a vessel 
as this ever found its way into these northern 
seas was a mystery. I just glanced for a 
moment into these rooms, and saw there trunks 
and valises, and all the usual articles of the 
toilet, mirrors, beds, and bedding, and all other 
things expected in a respectable apartment. 
Then I visited the captain’s room and the 


Lof C. 


78 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

mate’s; the pantry, storeroom, etc.; and all 
the supplies and utensils seemed to be abundant 
and of the best quality. I tried to find the 
log-book, but that was missing ; and from this 
I inferred that the captain had made his escape 
in safety, taking it with him. This thought 
gave me pleasure. 

No danger now of my suffering for want 
of the comforts or luxuries of life; I could 
dress elegantly, sleep magnificently, and fare 
sumptuously. I selected the captain’s room 
for my private apartment; and, having no 
luggage to transport, it required but little time 
for me to take possession. 

The sun had now sunk as near the horizon 
as it ever did in that region during the month 
of July, and what we called evening at home 
drew near. I prepared my cup of tea in the 
cabin, and spread my supper on the centre- 
table; then went out to take a little stroll on 
the deck. I closed the door of the caboose- 
house, and, for the sake of appearances, fas- 
tened it; then went up to the bell, and struck 
the hour, just to gratify a sentimental feeling 
that I had. Then I retired to the cabin for 
the night; and in order to make it seem snug 


AT THE NORTH POLE 


79 


and cosy, I dropped the curtains over the 
windows, and lighted the hanging lamp. Kin- 
dling a fire in the grate, I sat down at the table 
and tried to read. But situated as I was, I 
found it impossible to fix my mind upon the 
book; and so I threw mysel^ down upon the 
lounge to think over what had happened, and 
speculate as to the probabilities of the future. 
It may seem strange to some persons; but, 
with all my comforts about me, I felt more 
homesick than I did when I was lying on the 
ice in my bearskin, or when I was poking about 
in the bowels of the earth, trying to see how 
I could get out. There was nothing to occupy 
my body; and that, I suppose, was one reason 
why my mind worked as it did. At about ten 
o’clock I went to bed, and, after tossing about 
uneasily for an hour or two, managed to fall 
asleep. 

When I awoke in the morning, it took me 
some* time to remember where I was. I 
thought, at first, that I was at home, and could 
hear the birds singing by the window; and I 
believe that I called out “ Bob ! ” once or twice 
before I was fairly roused. But soon the real 
state of the case came back to me ; and, going 


80 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

into the staterooms, I hunted around until I 
found a suit of good clean clothes that would 
fit me, and dressed myself for the day. The 
clothes that I had worn were now so dirty 
and torn that I was very glad to get rid of 
them. After breakfasting heartily, — and an 
excellent cup of hot coffee I had that morn- 
ing, — I began to think what I. should do with 
myself during the day. I had no longer to 
go tramping about in search of food; and 
so I thought that I would take a little stroll 
over my farm, — as I called the acre of loam 
that lay by the side of my abode, — and see 
how the crops were looking. I must confess 
that the vegetation was not much advanced; 
and yet I could see, here and there, little green 
shoots springing out of the earth, indicating 
that the summer sun was beginning to have 
its effect upon the soil. It then occurred to 
me how pleasant it would be to look out upon 
a greensward in that icy spot; and remem- 
bering to have seen in the storeroom a canvas 
bag marked “ grass-seed,’’ and a rake stand- 
ing there, I went for them, and passed the 
forenoon in agricultural pursuits. In a few 
hours, I had quite a patch of ground nicely 


AT THE NORTH POLE 8 1 

raked over and sown for grass. In less than 
a fortnight, it had sprouted beautifully, and 
I began to be quite proud of my arctic lawn. 

All the time, however, I was wondering 
how I should find my way back to the abodes 
of man, and how soon I might expect to start 
for home. I had presumed that, as the season 
advanced, I should begin to drift southward; 
and I hoped that, before the winter closed in 
again, I might reach those parts of the sea 
which are frequented by vessels, and so find 
rescue, feut whether I was moving or not, 
it was impossible as yet to tell, as there was 
no fixed object in sight by which a movement 
could be measured. I felt very certain that 
the iceberg was not grounded, because there 
would be, occasionally, a quivering of the 
whole mass, which showed that it was float- 
ing on the water. It was also growing warmer 
and warmer every day, which was a favourable 
symptom. If I had known how to use the 
sextant or quadrant, I could have settled the 
matter at once. 

Before long, I was satisfied, from the change 
in the appearance of the ocean and of the sun, 
that I was indeed moving rapidly away from 


82 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOV 

the north pole; and the fact that I was afloat 
was settled conclusively by a very alarming 
circumstance. I had observed for a day or 
two that the hanging-lamp did not appear to 
be entirely perpendicular; and in walking the 
deck, I had the sensation that I was not tread- 
ing on a perfectly level surface. Searching 
the mate’s room, I found a spirit-level, and 
laid it on the floor. There was no doubt of 
the fact : the berg was undoubtedly tilting on 
one side. I then remembered that, not unfre-* 
quently, these mountains of ice rolled over 
and made a complete somersault. This was 
now, sooner or later, going to happen. What 
could I do? I found that the ice, on the side 
that was beginning to incline toward the sea, 
was much higher than elsewhere, and that this 
superior weight was gradually destroying the 
equilibrium of the berg. I also observed that, 
between this elevation and the more level re- 
gion, there was a narrow, deep fissure extend- 
ing almost entirely across the line of the lofty 
projection of ice. 

A great thought now flashed upon me. I 
remembered to have seen on the deck, the day 
after my arrival, two or three casks labelled 


AT THE NORTH POLE 


B3 


“ Dangerous! Handle very carefully! ! •Nitro- 
glycerine ! ! ! ” These casks I at once removed 
to a safe distance, marking with an upright 
stick the place where they were deposited. 
Nitro-glycerine! I said to myself. It was that 
that blew up the European at Panama. I re- 
member it because I sold three hundred and 
nine papers by crying “ Great Explosion.” A 
newsboy knows something. And nitro-glycer- 
ine will go off if you hit it hard enough. 

In the captain’s room there were several 
large, metallic flasks, made very broad and 
flat, as I suppose for the purpose of better 
stowage in his room. What they had formerly 
contained, I could only judge by the smell; 
but they were empty now. This, then, was the 
experiment that I would try, — filling these 
flasks with nitro-glycerine, I would lower them 
into a crevice in the ice. Then, if I could, 
I must make a block of ice fall on them. 

In two or three hours, my preparations were 
concluded. The flasks were just large enough 
to fit snugly in the chasm. Above them, 
the precipice hung over a little. Half-hidden 
by the bulwarks of the ship, I fired three bullets 
from the captain’s gun into the projecting 


84 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

mass. Nothing fell. I loaded her again, — 
fired again, and a great block of ice keeled 
over and slid down. I leaped down-stairs 
into the cabin, and, as I landed, felt the great 
iceberg tremble; then came a sharp, quick, 
terrible crash, as if forty thunders had broken 
all together right over my head, and the great 
hill of ice sank grandly and slowly into the 
ocean below. For a minute or two I could 
hear the roar of the waters as they opened 
to receive the huge mass, and the berg rocked 
as if in a great storm; then all was still again. 
I rushed back to my cabin, laid the spirit-level 
on the floor, and the little bubble stopped right 
in the middle of the tube. The danger was 
over. 

Another vveek passed; and thererjwas no 
longer any room tc doubt that I was moving, 
and in the right dire ;tion. At the pole, there 
was never a breath o wind, but now it blew 
quite strong. The compass began to show 
signs of vitality; and, at midnight, I could 
see some of the brightest of the stars. The 
sun dropped nearer and nearer the horizon 
every evening, and it was growing uncom- 
fortably warm at midday. As I was now 


AT THE NORTH POLE 


85 


getting some information from the sun as to 
the points of the compass, I set up a vane on 
the deck, in order to find out, from day to day, 
the direction of the wind. This put another 
idea into my head. Couldn’t I do something 
to help the old berg along? Why couldn’t 
the spare masts and sails, that lay along the 
sides of the deck, be put to some use? The 
foremast of the ship was broken off about 
fifteen feet from the level of the deck, and 
I went to work to splice on a jury-mast. It 
was slow and pretty hard work. I had to 
arrange the blocks and tackles in the most 
scientific manner in order to lift the heavy 
timber to its place; and it required a great 
deal of strength to bring the ropes around the 
fore and j ury-mast, so as to bind them securely 
together. I then managed < to rig a yard to 
the mast, and, in the coU^.‘Se of another day, 
had quite a respectable sa / set. The day after, 
I got up a jib, and then crowned the whole by 
hoisting the American flag to the top of the 
mast. I did not keep this flying all the time, 
but reserved it for great occasions. 

Here then was a novel sight, — a great ice- 
berg under sail, and protected by the stars and 


86 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

stripes. Whether it helped us along or not, 
I am unable to say; but it was a satisfaction 
for me to feel that I had done what I could; 
and it gave me pleasure to go off a little dis- 
tance, and look at the extraordinary spectacle. 
I could not help laughing to think what the 
old salts would say when I got down amongst 
the whalers and explorers, at the sight of an 
iceberg under sail! 

I have nothing more to tell of my adven- 
tures in the arctic seas. About the middle of 
September, I had reached the more frequented 
parts of the ocean, and every day was on the 
lookout for some friendly barque to liberate 
me from my dreary solitude. For months I 
had not heard the sound of a human voice, and 
I began to long for the society of my fellow 
men. Every morning I posted myself, with 
a spy-glass, on the highest peak of the berg, 
searching the horizon for a sail. My situation 
on the deck was becoming every hour more 
and more precarious. The melting of the ice 
underneath had already caused the stern to 
incline very decidedly toward the inclined 
plane that led down to the ocean; and I felt 
that the slightest jar might at any time pre- 



« EVERY MORNING I POSTED MYSELF, WITH A SPY- 
GLASS, ON THE HIGHEST PEAK OF THE BERG.” 


• r 



4 9 * 




I 



I 




AT THE NORTH POLE 


89 


cipitate the whole concern, myself included, 
into the sea. I suppose, indeed, that nothing 
but the counteracting influence of the sails, 
which filled in the opposite direction, had pre- 
vented this catastrophe. 

At last, after many a long and weary watch, 
I descried, in the far-off distance, a sail; but 
the vessel moved off toWard the horizon, and 
was soon lost to sight. It was a bitter dis- 
appointment; and still I thought that wher- 
ever one ship was sailing, others would be 
likely to come in sight before long. I kept 
the flag flying now all the time, and hardly 
ventured to sleep at all, lest some vessel might 
pass by unnoticed. On the twenty-fifth of 
September, as I woke from a short and broken 
slumber, I descried, not more than two miles 
off, a ship heading directly for the berg. As 
soon as she was near enough for the signal 
to be observed, I lowered and hoisted my flag 
five or six times in quick succession; and, to 
my joy, I saw the signal answered. It was 
all right now : the only question to be solved 
was as to the, manner in which I would get 
on board the vessel. I anticipated that they 
would not venture to bring the ship alongside 


90 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

of the berg, but would probably put out a 
long-boat for my rescue. As soon as that came 
within hailing distance, I would establish com- 
munication with the crew; and, between us 
all, I did not doubt but some way would be 
found for me to escape. In a short time, as 
I had foreseen, the ship lay to; and the boat 
came off, and was rowed to the foot of the 
inclined plane. I never saw a more astonished 
set of men in my life. They were staring 
at me and my extraordinary craft, as if their 
eyes would start from the sockets; and the 
coxswain rose and shouted : 

“ Ahoy, up there ! who are you ? 

“ John Whopper,” I replied, “ eldest son of 
the Widow Whopper, now residing in Rox- 
bury. Mass., U. S. of America.” 

'' Gracious me ! ” cried one of the men, ‘‘ I 
know Widow Whopper.” 

I hope you left her well ? ” 

“ Much as usual,” the sailor replied. 

I was very glad to hear it. 

Where are you from ? ” shouted the cox- 
swain again ; '' and where did, you get your 
rigging? ” 

I will tell you when I get aboard.” 


AT THE NORTH POLE 


91 


‘‘ Come aboard, then.” 

“ I don’t exactly see how to manage it.” 

'' Come down the plane, and we will catch 
you.” 

It was too steep and slippery for me to do 
that ; but, on the instant, another bright 
thought arose. “ Pull off a hundred feet or 
so,” I cried, “ and I will be along.” 

As soon as I saw that they had rowed to 
a safe distance, I went to the mast, and sud- 
.denly let the sail go. In an instant I felt the 
deck quiver ; and it began to move, very slowly 
at first, and then with a tremendous rush, right 
down the inclined plane. I grasped a rope 
with all my might, and steadied myself for 
the shock that must come when my craft 
plunged into the sea. But there was no shock 
at all; gently as a ship slides on her cradle, 
when launched into the water, the old deck 
glided off upon the waves, and in five minutes 
I found myself safely on board the long-boat. 
No sooner, however,, had I left the strange 
craft, than it began to sink slowly into the 
depths; and the last thing that I saw was the 
American flag floating on the bosom of the 
deep. 


92 JOHN WHOPPER THE NEWSBOY 

What was said to me when I reached the 
ship, and what I said, I have not time to re- 
late; only I didn’t tell everything. 

The vessel proved to be a whaler, bound 
for New Bedford; where I arrived in good 
condition, and took the cars for Roxbury, via 
the Boston and Providence Road, passing 
through Canton. 

I found all well at home, and very much 
relieved by my arrival. 

But after all the intense anxiety which I 
had suffered while oscillating in the centre of 
the earth, and while living in my uncertain 
home on the iceberg, I found that I could not 
summon sufficient courage to repeat my jour- 
ney to China, though again and again I started 
boldly, with my papers under my arm, deter- 
mined to take a flying leap into the mysteri- 
ous chasm. My brother implored me to make 
one more trial, promising to be faithful at 
his end of the line, and my mother bewailed 
the loss of the money which at one time I 
added so regularly to her bank-account. 

So one afternoon, when Bob and I sat on 
the rocks surrounding my wonderful abyss, 
talking over the situation, we decided that the 


AT THE NORTH POLE 


93 


best thing we could do was to cover it care- 
fully over with a large stone, and, in order 
to mark the place, plant a willow-tree on 
either side, and that, after that, I wiould resume 
my old paper route in Roxbury, and on winter 
evenings write this account of my wonderful 
adventures, though I sometimes doubt if my 
readers will believe my story. 

I would gladly tell you where the opening 
is, but, when I visited the place at the end of 
a year, I found, to my great grief and dismay, 
that a new highway had been built directly 
over the spot, my willows were gone, and 
every landmark had disappeared. 




COSY CORNER SERIES 


It is the intention of the publishers that this series shall 
contain only the very highest and purest literature, — 
stories that shall not only appeal to the children them- 
selves, but be appreciated by all those who feel with 
them in their joys and sorrows. 

The numerous illustrations in each book are by well- 
known artists, and each volume has a separate attract- 
ive cover design. 

Each, I voL, i6mo, cloth ..... $0.50 

By ANNIE FELLOWS JOHNSTON 

The Little Colonel. (Trade Mark.) 

The scene of this story is laid in Kentucky. Its 
heroine is a small girl, who is known as the Little 
Colonel, on account of her fancied resemblance to an 
old-school Southern gentleman, whose fine estate and 
old family are famous in the region. This old Colonel 
proves to be the grandfather of the child. 

The Giant Scissors. 

This is the story of Joyce and of her adventures in 
France, — the wonderful house with the gate of The 
Giant Scissors, Jules, her little playmate, Sister Denisa, 
the cruel Brossard, and her dear Aunt Kate. Joyce is 
a great friend of the Little Colonel, and in later volumes 
shares with her the delightful experiences of the “ House 
Party ” and the “ Holidays.” 

Two Little Knights of Kentucky, 

Who Were the Little Colonel’s Neighbors. 
In this volume the Little Colonel returns to us like an 
old friend, but with added grace and charm. She is 
not, however, the central figure of the story, that place 
being taken by the “ two little knights.” 


2 


L. C. PAGE AND COMPANY'S 


By ANNIE FELLOWS JOHNSTON {^Continued) 

Cicely and Other Stories for Girls. 

The readers of Mrs. Johnston’s charming juveniles 
will be glad to learn of the issue of this volume for 
young people, written in the author’s sympathetic and 
entertaining manner. 

Aunt ’Liza’s Hero and Other Stories. 

A collection of six bright little stories, which will 
appeal to all boys and most girls. 

Big Brother. 

A Story of two boys. The devotion and care of 
Steven, himself a small boy, for his baby brother, is the 
theme of the simple tale, the pathos and beauty of which 
has appealed to so many thousands. 

Ole riammy’s Torment. 

“Ole Mammy’s Torment” has been fitly called “a 
classic of Southern life.” It relates the haps and mis- 
haps of a small negro lad, and tells how he was led by 
love and kindness to a knowledge of the right. 

The Story of Dago. 

In this story Mrs. Johnston relates the story of Dago, 
a pet monkey, owned jointly by two brothers. Dago 
tells his own story, and the account of his haps and mis- 
haps is both interesting and amusing. 

The Quilt That Jack Built. 

A pleasant little story of a boy’s labor of love, and 
how it changed the course of his life many years after 
it was accomplished. Told in Mrs. Johnston’s usual 
vein of quaint charm and genuine sincerity. 


COSY CORNER SERIES 


3 


By EDITH ROBINSON 

A Little Puritan’s First Christmas. 

A story of Colonial times in Boston, telling how 
Christmas was invented by Betty Sewall, a typical child 
of the Puritans, aided by her brother Sam. 

A Little Daughter of Liberty. 

The author’s motive for this story is well indicated by 
a quotation from her introduction, as follows : 

“ One ride is memorable in the early history of the 
American Revolution, the well-known ride of Paul 
Revere. Equally deserving of commendation is another 
ride, — untold in verse or story, its records preserved 
only in family papers or shadowy legend, the ride of 
Anthony Severn was no less historic in its action or 
memorable in its consequences.” 

A Loyal Little flaid. 

A delightful and interesting story of Revolutionary 
days, in which the child heroine, Betsey Schuyler, 
renders important services to George Washington. 

A Little Puritan Rebel. 

Like Miss Robinson’s successful story of “ A Loyal 
Little Maid,” this is another historical tale of a real girl, 
during the time when the gallant Sir Harry Vane was 
governor of Massachusetts. 

A Little Puritan Pioneer. 

The scene of this story is laid in the Puritan settle- 
ment at Charlestown. The little girl heroine adds 
another to the list of favorites so well known to the 
young people. 

A Little Puritan Bound Girl. 

A Story of Boston in Puritan days, which is of great 
interest to youthful readers. 


4 


Z. C. PAGE AND COMPANY'S 


By QUID A (Louise de la Ramde) 

A Dog of Flanders : a Christmas Story. 

Too well and favorably known to require description. 

The Nurnberg Stove. 

This beautiful story has never before been published 
at a popular price. 

A Provence Rose. 

A story perfect in sweetness and in grace. 

Pindelkind. 

A charming story about a little Swiss herdsman. 

By MISS MULOCK 

The Little Lame Prince. 

A delightful story of a little boy who has many adven- 
tures by means of the magic gifts of his fairy godmother. 

Adventures of a Brownie. 

The Story of a household elf who torments the cook 
and gardener, but is a constant joy and delight to the 
children who love and trust him. 

His Little Mother. 

Miss Mulock’s short stories for children are a constant 
source of delight to them, and “ His Little Mother,” in 
this new and attractive dress, will be welcomed by hosts 
of youthful readers. 

Little Sunshine’s Holiday. 

An attractive story of a summer outing. “ Little Sun- 
shine” is another of those beautiful child-characters for 
which Miss Mulock is so justly famous. 


cosy CORNER SERIES 


5 


By JULIANA HO RATI A LIVING 

Jackanapes. 

A new edition, with new illustrations, of this exquisite 
and touching story, dear alike to young and old. 

story of a Short Life. 

This beautiful and pathetic story will never grow old. 
It is a part of the world’s literature, and will never die. 

A Great Emergency. 

How a family of children prepared for a great emer- 
gency, and how they acted when the emergency came. 

The Trinity Flower. 

In this little volume are collected three of Mrs. 
Ewing’s best short stories for the young people. 

Madam Liberality. 

From her cradle up Madam Liberality found her 
chief delight in giving. 

By FRANCES MARGARET FOX 

The Little Giant’s Neighbours. 

A charming nature story of a “ little giant ” whose 
neighbours were the creatures of the field and garden. 

Farmer Brown and the Birds. 

A little story v/hich teaches children that the birds 
are man’s best friends. 

Betty of Old Mackinaw. 

A charming story of child-life, appealing especially to 
the little readers who like stories of “ real people.” 

riother Nature’s Little Ones. 

Curious little sketches describing the early lifetime, or 
“ childhood,” of the little creatures out-of-doors. 


6 


L. C. PAGE AND COMPANY’S 


By WILL ALLEN DROMGOOLE 

The Farrier’s Dog and His Fellow. 

This story, written by the gifted young Southern 
woman, will appeal to all that is best in the natures of 
the many admirers of her graceful and piquant style. 

The Fortunes of the Fellow. 

Those who read and enjoyed the pathos and charm 
of “ The Farrier’s Dog and His Fellow” will welcome 
the further account of the “ Adventures of Baydaw and 
the Fellow” at the home of the kindly smith. 

The Best of Friends. 

This continues the experiences of the Farrier’s dog and 
his Fellow, written in Miss Dromgoole’s well-known 
charming style. 

By FRANCES HODGES WHITE 

Helena’s Wonderworld. 

A delightful tale of the adventures of a little girl in 
the mysterious regions beneath the sea. 

Aunt Nabby’s Children. 

This pretty little story, touched with the simple humor 
of country life, tells of two children who were adopted 
by Aunt Nabby. 

By MARSHALL SA UNDERS 

For His Country. 

A sweet and graceful story of a little boy who loved 
his country ; written with that charm which has endeared 
Miss Saunders to hosts of readers. 

Nita, the Story of an Irish Setter. 

In this touching little book. Miss Saunders shows 
how dear to her heart are all of God’s dumb creatures. 




MAY 24 1905 






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